travel

We live on the West Coast, and the grandparents (my in-laws, my mother, my father and my step mom) live in three different East Coast cities. My eight-month-old son is the ONLY grandchild on either side. The grandparents are (understandably!) enthusiastic and each set wants to visit every couple of months, which adds up to a LOT of travel and/or house guests.

I like to think that our experiences with the Passport Dinners have helped them develop their curiosity towards the world around them. We talk about why people eat different things in different parts of the world. They know that hearty stews with root vegetables were common in Russian and Czech dishes because of the climate, and that bananas and plantains feature more prominently in Cuba and Jamaica for the same reason. They know that lychee jelly — an ingredient that was strange and unpleasant for them — is as common for natives of Malaysia as grape jelly is for Americans.

I grew up in Alabama so I'm well-versed in the wonders of the humidity in the region, and though my son spent three years living in the South before we moved back to Oregon he didn't remember this particular sensation. I was struck by the funniest feeling, and realized I've never considered what it will be like to raise my child in an entirely different environment — and largely different circumstances — than I was raised.

I'm about to embark on a two-month road trip with my husband, seven-month-old baby, and our two 90-pound dogs. We'll be living out of our car and tent hiking and camping across the United States. We decided to test the boundaries of what having a baby in your life means and want to introduce him to the world early. My husband and I used to travel in our car for a couple months at a time (pre-baby), so why stop now?

My partner Jack and I had been excited about planning a family trip to Belize — we found a great VRBO cottage and fabulous flights. We were all ready when Jack asked, "Do we know if they like 'our kid' in Belize?" As in: are they ok with queers?

May is when my family and I start really solidifying our summer plans, starting to block out chunks for camping and visiting out-of-state family. To get a little inspiration, I spent some time doodling through Offbeat Families archives looking for great ideas for things to do this summer. Join me in some schemes, and then tell me… what are YOUR family plans for this summer?

I haven't had an infant in years so it's easy to forget that the world of baby stuff keeps on expanding. While looking up something or other on Amazon the other night I stumbled upon the Keep it Kleen Pacifier — aka the pacifier that closes up when it's dropped.

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